The Instigator
by livi8194
Summary: AU. Katniss is the sole victor of the seventy-first annual hunger games at the age of fifteen. She returns home as the newest Finnick Odair and must deal with the aftermath of her victory while leading a growing rebelling. Galeniss


**AU. Katniss is the sole victor of the seventy-first annual hunger games at the age of fifteen. She returns home as the newest Finnick Odair and must deal with the aftermath of her victory while leading a growing rebelling. Galeniss **

_Cato's barreling out of the woods toward me. The sun has disappeared and the rain is pouring down in buckets. Thunder cracks and lighting lights up the sky and I realize that this IS the end. It all ends here. I aim my arrow at his heart and shoot, but instead of crumpling to the ground, the arrow bounces of his chest and he continues running towards me. And I don't have time to react as I am tackled to the ground. I hit the ground so hard I can feel my ribs cracking under this huge monster. "You killed her! You killed her!" He screams at me over and over like he's half mad. But I think we both are. _

_He's got my pinned on the ground talking about my painful and merciless death. Goodbye Prim, I think, Goodbye Gale. He's still making my death speech and I can smell smoke on his breath from some meal he probably had. Smoke. Smoke means fire. And I figure out how I can maybe still win this thing. He's still speaking and is distracted I wrench my hand free, I scream in pain because I pretty sure I just broke it. But through the tears I am able to reach into my pocket and grab the lighter. In a few seconds I lunge at him with my match and set fire to his suit. He starts to scream as he is burned alive. The lightning strikes the cornucopia and it blinds me. I can barely breathe through my cracked ribs and the pain in my wrist is searing. Cato screams and screams. And I'm on the ground trying to crawl away from him because he could also start me on fire. And what seems like hours later, he stops screaming and just moans and speaks in unintelligible mumbles. But the cannon doesn't ring like it's supposed to, and suddenly I'm on fire and all I can hear is are my own screams, over and over….._

I awake to my own painful screams. The sunlight streams into a bedroom as large as my house. I clench the silky bedspread trying to fight off the flashbacks.

My name is Katniss Everdeen. I am 15 years old. I am one of the youngest female victors. I won the 71st annual Hunger games. My home is district twelve. And if I can fight off the flashbacks, I will finally return home.

Home, I think. Where I can finally try to forget about these horrible games. I can see Prim and Gale and my mother…But as much as I try to convince myself that everything is alright, I know its not. I'll have one year filled with interviews and tours and mentoring. And then I'll be the next Finnick and Cashmere, just like all the beautiful victors. A capitol slave. And if I don't cooperate, they will kill everyone I love.

"Katniss, it's a big big day," trills Effie. I ignore her as usual. The only good thing with being a brutal victor is that I don't have to be a giggling girl filled with smiles. I can get away with one word answers.

As a haul myself out of bed, I wince as my wrist moves too sharply. It broke in three different places. A thrifeta as Finnick calls it. Panem moves past in a blur. Apparently we are in district eleven whizzing by at two hundred miles an hour.

Breakfast is enough to feed half the Seam. Filled with alcohol for Haymitch, muffins and hot chocolate for me, and all of the prep team's favorite foods.

"Katniss and Haymitch, how dare you eat without me," Effie laughs at her joke as if it's funny. It's not. She drowns on and on about some architecture project in the capitol. Haymitch leaves the table drunk. And I disappear soon after that to get changed. A shimmery gold dress that shows way too much in my opinion is laid on my bed with a note from Cinna, "I'm still betting on you." A smile creeps on to my face. Some capitol person applies minimum makeup to my face that makes me shine like the sun. I look beautiful and dangerous at the same time.

The train slides to a stop and I walk to the sliding doors where Effie is waiting for me.

"Where were you? I told you to be here precisely seven minutes ago."

'Sorry," I reply with a semi real smile.

'Oh, it's alright honey," she coos. She wraps me into a hug and Haymitch pats me on the back.

'You've got this sweetheart, just act normal," he says.

"Ok. Ok," I reply, bouncing on the balls of my feet. And the doors finally slide open.

At first I am blinded by the bright lights of cameras. And then I see them-Gale and Prim, my mom, Hazelle, Rory, Vick, and even little Posy. All smiling and waving. And suddenly I can't stand it any longer. I don't wait the three minutes and twenty-seven seconds I'm supposed to wait. I leap on the stage and nimbly land on my feet. The crowd shrinks back to clear a path for me and I reach them in three strides. I scoop Prim up into my arms and hold her close. She cries out, "Katniss, I was so scared and I thought I would lose….." Soon she's crying and I'm rubbing circles on her back and soothing her just like I would in a bad dream. At last she finally stops and I put her down. My wrist hurts like crazy and my ribs are beginning to throb. But then Gale is there, and I instantly forget about the pain.

"Katniss," he whispers. I don't answer, I just burry my face in his shirt. He smells like the woods and home. And he doesn't make my talk, he just holds me. And for the first time since the games I finally feel safe.


End file.
